Articles Tagged With:
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Drug Diversion Increasing Risk of Patient Outbreaks
With experts warning drug diversion by healthcare workers has increased during the pandemic, infection preventionists should welcome the news that the medical tech who caused hepatitis C outbreaks in hospitals in eight states remains in a Florida prison.
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Once Eradicated in the United States, Measles Comes Back
Undiagnosed hospital measles introductions are notoriously labor-intensive, making it necessary to track potential exposures to patients and healthcare workers and determine immune status as necessary.
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FDA Panel Greenlights RSV Vaccine for Elderly
With some concerns and caveats that put a strong emphasis on post-marketing surveillance, vaccine advisors for the Food and Drug Administration have greenlit two vaccines against respiratory syncytial virus infections in people aged 60 years and older.
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APIC Opening a Path for New IPs
The president of the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology usually is not tapped from a small community hospital. But Pat Jackson, RN, BSN, CIC, FAPIC, has no lack of experience nor expertise.
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Gratitude, Kindness, and Joy: The Light Out of the Pandemic
With approximately 80% of counties in the United States reporting “low” COVID-19 transmission levels as this report was filed, the pandemic has slowed to a still point. Infection preventionists reflect on the damage done and the work that remains.
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Bone Density as a Dementia Risk Indicator
Researchers found some associations between bone density loss and a higher risk of developing dementia.
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Endotracheal Intubation Lawsuits Often Name ED Providers
After analyzing 214 relevant claims, researchers reported payments averaged $2.5 million. Intubation injuries occurred in the operating room most often, followed by the ED (16.3% of cases). Most cases involving the ED resulted in some type of payout (either a settlement or a jury award). Anesthesiologists were most likely to be named in the lawsuits (59.8%), and EPs were second most likely (19.2%) to be named. The vast majority of claims (89.2%) alleged permanent deficits, half the cases involved death, and 37.4% of the cases involved anoxic brain injury.
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Pediatric Mental Health Crisis Is ECRI’s Top Safety Concern for 2023
The ED assessment should include appropriate triage: screening for harm of self or others, a thorough assessment, and consideration of social determinants of health.
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ED Makes Discharge Safer for Pediatric Patients
Preventable, serious safety events related to discharge from the ED motivated clinicians at Boston Children’s Hospital to implement a standardized process. Staff follow and review all events locally within the department of emergency medicine, which can include some return visits. The emphasis is on family engagement and multidisciplinary communication.
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New Processes ‘Close the Loop’ on Imaging Findings
University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center, radiologists report imaging findings through a standardized form integrated in dictation software. This automatically sends an email to a nurse navigator, who documents the findings and coordinates follow-up with patients, primary care providers, and specialists. From July 2021 to May 2022, 1,207 incidental finding reports were submitted, with the vast majority identified on CT scans. Ten new cancers were detected as a result of the program.